First of all, thanks to Helmut for the timely information about zinc for hoof health.
I have recently completed a round of medication on a young wether for a condition which is NOT hoof rot, though it had my vet a bit flummoxed. He was going to look it up but never did (he's more of a horse vet than a sheep vet) but in looking in my books, I believe it's a condition called "foot scald" which is more like athlete's foot in humans. The skin around the hairline of the hooves and dewclaws was crusty and slightly raw, but there was no involvement of the hoof itself, and no foul smell. I kept him in the barn and treated him twice daily with a skin preparation for horses. When I turned him out, there was not a trace of the problem. I hope it is gone. But... The vet DID recommend a zinc supplement for hoof health. I am in the process of trying to bring my neglected land back to health, and my soil analysis is dismal in all nutrient categories except organic matter. The fact that it is acid further locks up nutrients and makes them unavailable to the plants. It is my belief that the application (by someone else) of urea, etc. over the years has burned out the microflora in the soil, and thus the organic matter is not being converted into humus. If it were, all the values would be buffered and the nutrient levels would not be so dismal. Last year I applied a light application of zinc, with no improvement in the values on the soil analysis. This may not be terribly interesting to anyone but me, but it demonstrates that soil health is probably the first step toward maintaining health in the animals. I feel I need to get the zinc into the soil and let the animals come by it naturally through the forage. Adding soil amendments is expensive though, and the best way is probably to find out which forages are best to mine the subsoil and bring the trace minerals back to the surface. I am not sure which forages would uptake zinc the best, but if I can find out, I'll report it. Probably legumes, with their deeper roots. I am offering the sheep commercial minerals, and a 50-50 salt kelp mixture free choice. The ewes seem to like both, but the half-yearlings don't seem interested in either. I will eliminate the salt from the kelp and see if that is more appealing. Speaking of weather, what does one pack for the upcoming meeting? :o) Thanks, Barb Lee =============================================== This message is from the Barbados Blackbelly Sheep mailing list (http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). To respond to this message, send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly To search the archives, go to http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
